Human Rights Violator: Hamid Reza Moghaddam-Far

When he was the Managing Director of Fars News Agency and the Deputy Commander of Cultural Affairs for the IRGC, Hamid Reza Moghaddam-Far was responsible for deliberately provoking hatred and incitement to hatred against the Bahá’í faith through the content in Fars News.

The Fars News Agency is close to the powerful IRGC and is said to receive financial support from them. The impartiality and independence of this news agency is in serious doubt.

In its October 2011 report titled “Inciting Hatred Iran’s Media Campaign to Demonize Bahá’ís”, the Bahá’í International Community described contents published by Fars News as:

“Some 64% of the articles surveyed by the Bahá’í community contain language branding the Bahá’í Faith as a ‘deviant, misguided sect’ and even as ‘Satanists’…. Other articles strive to make a more explicit connection, referring to the “satanic goals” of Bahá’ís, or calling Bahá’ís part of a ‘satanic system’… often uses graphic images that portray Bahá’ís as fiendish ghouls or agents of Israel…”

It is believed that propaganda in the media could lead to increased discrimination against the Bahá’í community and promote a social context of violence and hatred against them solely based on their religious beliefs.